Chapter 3. matplotlib APIs and Integrations

In the previous chapter, we examined the architecture of matplotlib by using the library itself to visualize some aspects of the structure of module imports, particularly the ones related to the scripting, artist, and backend layers of the matplotlib architecture. In this chapter, we are going to examine the developer interfaces against the backdrop of this architectural discussion.

The matplotlib module comes with what are essentially three different application programming interfaces:

• The pylab interface, a MATLAB analog (deprecated)
• The pyplot interface, which is synonymous with the scripting layer from the last chapter
• The matplotlib object-oriented interface

We will define these and talk more about them in the following sections. Since they are covered in great detail elsewhere, we won't spend much time going over each of the functions that is available in the API. Rather we will demonstrate typical good usage for each API type...